Subject Overview

An advanced postgraduate study of thermodynamic principles and heat-transfer mechanisms for analyzing, designing, optimizing, and governing mechanical energy systems. The syllabus integrates classical theory, engineering applications, computational and experimental methods, sustainability, managerial decision-making, and emerging digital technologies.

Learning Goal

Students will be able to formulate and solve advanced thermodynamic and heat-transfer problems; evaluate energy and exergy performance; design thermal systems and components; use analytical, numerical, experimental, and AI-enabled methods; and make technically, economically, environmentally, and ethically responsible engineering decisions.

Syllabus

1. Foundations of Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

Learning Objective: Establish systems, control volumes, equilibrium, state, process, cycles, dimensions, temperature, pressure, heat, work, thermal properties, continuum assumptions, and the conduction, convection, and radiation modes; apply scaling, dimensional consistency, and uncertainty-aware engineering problem formulation.

Category: foundation

2. Properties, Equations of State, and Phase Behavior

Learning Objective: Determine properties of pure substances using tables, diagrams, real-gas equations, corresponding states, and property software; analyze phase transitions, vapor–liquid equilibrium, compressibility, and thermodynamic property estimation.

Category: core

3. First-Law Analysis of Closed and Open Systems

Learning Objective: Apply conservation of mass and energy to transient and steady systems, including turbines, compressors, pumps, nozzles, throttles, mixing chambers, heat exchangers, and storage devices; construct rigorous energy balances and assess component performance.

Category: core

4. Second Law, Entropy, and Exergy

Learning Objective: Interpret irreversibility, entropy generation, Carnot limits, Clausius inequality, and availability; perform entropy and exergy balances, identify loss mechanisms, and use exergetic efficiency for system improvement and resource-allocation decisions.

Category: core

5. Thermodynamic Relations, Mixtures, and Psychrometrics

Learning Objective: Derive and apply Maxwell relations, Gibbs equations, chemical potential, partial molar properties, fugacity, activity, and mixture models; analyze ideal and real gas mixtures, moist air, psychrometric processes, and HVAC applications.

Category: advanced

6. Reacting Systems and Combustion Thermodynamics

Learning Objective: Analyze stoichiometry, heating values, adiabatic flame temperature, chemical equilibrium, dissociation, entropy generation, and exergy of fuels; evaluate combustion efficiency, emissions, alternative fuels, hydrogen, and carbon-management implications.

Category: application

7. Power, Refrigeration, and Energy-Conversion Cycles

Learning Objective: Model and compare Rankine, Brayton, combined, cogeneration, refrigeration, heat-pump, and advanced cycles; assess regeneration, reheating, intercooling, real-component losses, working-fluid selection, and techno-economic performance.

Category: application

8. Steady and Transient Heat Conduction

Learning Objective: Derive and solve one-, two-, and three-dimensional conduction equations with appropriate boundary conditions; analyze thermal resistance networks, fins, contact resistance, critical insulation, lumped systems, multidimensional and transient conduction.

Category: core

9. Convection and Boundary-Layer Transport

Learning Objective: Apply conservation equations, boundary-layer theory, dimensional analysis, and empirical correlations to forced and natural convection; evaluate internal and external flows, laminar and turbulent transport, thermal entrance effects, and convection enhancement.

Category: core

10. Thermal Radiation

Learning Objective: Analyze blackbody behavior, spectral properties, Kirchhoff’s law, view factors, radiation networks, participating media, solar irradiation, shields, and combined radiation–convection problems for engineering surfaces and enclosures.

Category: core

11. Phase-Change and Multiphase Heat Transfer

Learning Objective: Examine boiling, condensation, evaporation, melting, solidification, two-phase flow, critical heat flux, heat pipes, thermal storage, and related correlations; address safety, instability, and design limitations in high-flux systems.

Category: advanced

12. Heat Exchangers and Thermal-System Design

Learning Objective: Design and rate parallel-flow, counterflow, crossflow, compact, regenerative, and multipass heat exchangers using LMTD and effectiveness–NTU methods; account for fouling, pressure drop, materials, reliability, lifecycle cost, standards, and operability.

Category: application

13. Numerical, Computational, and Experimental Thermal Engineering

Learning Objective: Use finite-difference, finite-volume, and finite-element approaches for conduction, convection, and coupled fields; understand CFD discretization, turbulence models, convergence, verification, validation, instrumentation, calibration, uncertainty analysis, and reproducible reporting.

Category: advanced

14. Integrated Thermal Management and Industrial Applications

Learning Objective: Integrate thermodynamics and heat transfer in electronics cooling, engines, turbines, buildings, process plants, batteries, fuel cells, renewable-energy systems, cryogenics, and waste-heat recovery; conduct case-based safety, reliability, maintenance, and performance analyses.

Category: strategic

15. Optimization, Digitalization, Sustainability, and Future Thermal Systems

Learning Objective: Apply energy–exergy–economic–environmental analysis, lifecycle assessment, multiobjective optimization, sensitivity analysis, and decision frameworks; evaluate digital twins, IoT monitoring, reduced-order models, machine learning, predictive control, uncertainty governance, AI ethics, cybersecurity, decarbonization, advanced materials, additive manufacturing, and emerging thermal technologies.

Category: contemporary